I’m sure I’m not the only one who enjoyed watching the triumphant return of Simone Biles at the Olympics in Paris this summer. She is a phenomenal athlete, a true one-of-a-kind, with an incredible five gymnastic skills named after her.
But as you may be aware, Biles’ journey has not been an easy one – which was explored in the fascinating Netflix documentary Rising (if you haven’t seen it already, make sure to add it to your list!) The documentary emphasised the enormous pressure that accompanies being the GOAT, the potential impact of the social isolation required to avoid spreading Covid-19 at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, and the long-lasting impact of trauma. Not only that, once Biles started talking the abuse she suffered at the hands of Team USA’s gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar, she became a spokesperson for mental health – an extra source of pressure. In this blog I’m focusing on the first point, about the pressure that comes with being the best (although the second two points are equally, if not more, important).
Biles’s story reminded me of some talent development research I first came across years ago while doing my PhD. I remember reading countless papers focused on “getting there”: what kind of social and pedagogical environments are most effective; the contributions of nature vs nurture; the psychological skills that seem to facilitate talent development; what kinds of cross-training are best for dancers. It makes sense to focus on how to help young people fulfil their potential, because training requires huge investments of time, effort and money. But that seems to imply that once dancers or athletes have “made it”, they don’t need as much assistance – they’re successful, so why would they need any more help? Well, it seems that there is a real difference between getting there and staying there.
Certain skills and characteristics seem essential on the talent development journey. These include intrinsic motivation, commitment to the domain, the capacity to develop or potential to learn, deliberate practice, and a range of self-regulatory strategies such as setting realistic goals, and anxiety management (e.g. Walker, Nordin-Bates & Redding, 2010). There is of course overlap between many of these factors but they seem to be crucial in enabling young dancers and athletes to stay the course. These factors have been the subject of extensive research, especially in sport, but much less study has been undertaken to understand the different stressors, challenges and expectations that performers who have ‘made it’ might face. These challenges include increasing expectations, maintaining effective focus among intense media scrutiny, avoiding being copied by competitors (Kreiner-Phillips & Orlick, 1992), and, as the Biles documentary made clear, the ability to manage (or ignore!) social media comments and attention. It seems that being the underdog is much easier than being the top dog as there is so little pressure on performers who have yet to make a name for themselves. Nobody is expecting them to succeed, so they are free to give a performance or competition their all, take risks, and make mistakes, safe in the knowledge that they are not being scrutinised as much as their famous counterparts.
Such findings also put me in mind of my first ever study about performance anxiety among ballet dancers. It’s easy to assume that very experienced dancers are better able to deal with anxiety, stress and pressure than those starting out in their careers. But as one dancer told me, “The minute you achieve the great roles, then you start to worry about how good you're doing it, if you're better than the soloist before” (dancer in Walker & Nordin-Bates, 2010, p.143). Support is often required to help performers deal with these additional stressors, but it’s questionable whether this is routinely offered (in dance, at least).
Moreover, athletes have discussed the ‘come down’ following big events and competitions like the Olympics, which has an impact on their mental health. For example, athletes have reported insufficient social and wellbeing support, particularly if they did not meet expectations during their events (Bennie et al., 2021). A loss of the celebrity status that comes with being an Olympian can also occur (Howells & Lucassen, 2018). Insufficient social support and an often immediate loss of media interest is reminiscent of the old saying “it’s lonely at the top”. Some performers develop their own coping strategies: for instance, in her autobiography Life in Motion, Misty Copeland explains that when she was promoted to soloist at the American Ballet Theatre, she preferred to continue using the corps de ballet dressing room so that she could still rely on the camaraderie she had found there.
However, we shouldn't assume that performers will be able to cope with these challenges independently. It seems that top performers need as much – if not more – support than those trying to make it. They should be taught coping strategies that are specific to their unique situation, and be given ample social support and wellbeing check-ins. Guidelines around media and social media engagement should be standard. Overall, while I would argue that dancers need more support for their psychological wellbeing and mental health in general, we shouldn’t assume that successful dancers no longer need help. Just because someone has made it, it doesn’t mean they have it all figured out! Let’s remember the power of psychology and how it can benefit dancers at any stage of their training and careers.
References
Bennie, A., Walton, C. C., O’Connor, D., Fitzsimons, L., & Hammond, T. (2021). Exploring the experiences and well-being of Australian Rio Olympians during the post-Olympic phase: a qualitative study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 685322.
Copeland, M. (2014). Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina. London: Sphere.
Howells, K., & Lucassen, M. (2018). ‘Post-Olympic blues’–The diminution of celebrity in Olympic athletes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 37, 67-78.
Kreiner-Phillips, K., & Orlick, T. (1993). Winning after winning: The psychology of ongoing excellence. The Sport Psychologist, 7(1), 31-48.
Walker, I. J., & Nordin-Bates, S. M. (2010). Performance anxiety experiences of professional ballet dancers: The importance of control. Journal of Dance Medicine & Science, 14(4), 133-145.
Walker, I. J., Nordin‐Bates, S. M., & Redding, E. (2010). Talent identification and development in dance: A review of the literature. Research in Dance Education, 11(3), 167-191.
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